JP7757262B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and computer program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a computer program for detecting objects around a moving body.

When moving, autonomous mobile robots and other moving bodies use sensors such as cameras, laser scanners, and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to detect obstacles, and if an obstacle is detected, they perform collision avoidance control such as detouring or stopping. The wider the detection range, the faster the moving body can detect objects around it, but each time an obstacle is detected, the moving body must perform collision avoidance processing, which may delay its arrival at its destination.

Patent Document 1 discloses technology that determines the presence or absence of objects in the direction of travel of a moving vehicle and suppresses the detection of objects that do not impede the vehicle's travel.

Patent No. 6677516

The configuration described in Patent Document 1 may detect obstacles that exist in areas that the vehicle will not actually pass through. As a result, collision avoidance processing by the vehicle can cause delays in arrival at the destination, reducing the efficiency of the vehicle's operations.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide an information processing device that can improve the efficiency of mobile vehicle operations.

In the information processing device,
a first object detection means for detecting an object around the moving body by a first sensor;
a second object detection means for detecting an object around the moving body by a second sensor;
an object identification means for identifying the object based on the characteristics of the object detected by the first object detection means;
an object movement range estimation means for estimating a movement range of the object identified by the object identification means;
and an object detection range setting means for setting an object detection range in which the second object detection means detects an object based on the object identified by the object identification means and the movement range estimated by the object movement range estimation means .

The present invention makes it possible to realize an information processing device that can improve the efficiency of mobile vehicle operations.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of an information processing device according to a first embodiment. 1 is a functional block diagram of a mobile object equipped with an information processing device 100 according to a first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart illustrating details of step S304 in FIG. 3. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of an information processing apparatus according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an information processing device according to a second embodiment. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing display examples according to a fifth embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In each drawing, the same components or elements will be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment 1)
As a first embodiment of an information processing device according to the present invention, an information processing device that changes a detection range of an obstacle by a sensor based on an area in which a moving object travels will be described below. Note that the moving object in this embodiment is an autonomous moving object such as an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) or an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot). However, the moving object is not limited to an autonomous moving object.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of an information processing device according to embodiment 1. The information processing device 100 includes a CPU 101 as a computer, a memory 102, a storage device 103, an input device 104, an output device 105, an I/O 108, and a sensor 109, all of which are interconnected by a bus 106.

In this embodiment, the sensor 109 is, for example, a passive stereo camera, which detects the presence or absence of obstacles from the distance values of feature points in the stereo images. By limiting this detection range to the area in which the mobile object travels, it is possible to avoid detecting objects that exist in areas that the mobile object does not actually pass through. This reduces collision avoidance processing by the mobile object, thereby improving operational efficiency. Note that this explanation assumes that the size and route of the mobile object have been input in advance into a storage device within the mobile object.

The CPU 101 executes the program 107 stored in the storage device 103, thereby executing a program that calculates the area through which a moving object will pass and a program that controls the range within which a sensor detects an object. The memory 102 temporarily stores the programs and data that the CPU 101 reads from the storage device 103.

Memory 102 is also used as an area for CPU 101 to execute various programs. Storage device 103 stores the results calculated by the operating system (OS) and program 107, as well as the path and size of a moving object.

The input device 104 accepts input from the user using a keyboard and mouse. The output device 105 outputs information input by the input device 104 and the execution results of programs executed by the CPU 101. 108 is an I/O, to which a sensor 109 for detecting objects is connected and which acquires detection signals from the sensor 109.

Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of a mobile object equipped with an information processing device 100 according to embodiment 1. Note that some of the functional blocks shown in Figure 2 are realized by causing a CPU 101, which serves as a computer included in the information processing device 100, to execute a computer program stored in a storage device 103, which serves as a storage medium.

However, some or all of these functions may be implemented in hardware. Hardware such as a dedicated circuit (ASIC) or a processor (reconfigurable processor, DSP) can be used.

Furthermore, the individual functional blocks of the information processing device 100 shown in Figure 2 do not have to be housed in the same housing, but may be configured as separate devices connected to each other via signal paths. The above explanation regarding Figure 2 also applies to Figure 5, which will be described later.

The moving object 210 comprises an information processing device 100 and a measurement unit 211, and the information processing device 100 comprises a passing area calculation unit 201, an object detection range setting unit 202, and an object detection unit 203. The measurement unit 211 calculates the distance to each feature point in the stereo image based on information input from the sensor 109, and outputs the distance to the object detection unit 203.

The passing area calculation unit 201 calculates the passing area through which the mobile body passes while traveling, based on the size and route of the mobile body. The passing area includes the area through which any connected objects that move and are connected to the mobile body, or any cargo carried on the mobile body, pass. The object detection range setting unit 202 controls the object detection unit 203 to set an object detection range in which to detect objects, based on the passing area calculated by the passing area calculation unit 201.

The object detection range setting unit 202 sets the object detection range to include at least the passing area calculated by the passing area calculation unit 201. The object detection unit 203 detects the presence or absence of an object based on information input from the measurement unit 211. In other words, it is intended to detect objects around the moving body 210 using the sensor 109.

Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the information processing device 100 according to the first embodiment, and Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the details of step S304 in Figure 3. Note that the operation of each step in the flowcharts of Figures 3 and 4 is performed by the CPU 101, which serves as a computer within the information processing device 100, executing a computer program stored in the storage device 103.

In step S301, as an initialization process associated with processing execution, the size and route information of the moving object 210 is loaded from the storage device 103 into the memory 102.

In step S302 (passing area calculation step), the passing area (spatial area) through which the moving object passes is calculated by the passing area calculation unit 201. The calculation method is based on the size and route of the moving object stored in memory 102, and calculates the spatial area through which the moving object passes when moving along the route.

In step S303 (object detection range setting step), the object detection range setting unit 202 sets the object detection range of the sensor 109 to a range corresponding to the pass area (spatial area) through which the moving object passes, calculated in step S302. That is, the object detection range for detecting an object is set in step S304 (object detection step) based on the pass area calculated in step S302 (passage area calculation step).

In step S304 (object detection step), the object detection unit 203 detects objects within the area set in step S303. That is, by detecting objects around the moving body 210 using the sensor 109, it is determined, for example, from an image captured after setting the detection range, whether an object in the depth direction is included in the moving area.

After step S304 is completed, the process returns to step S302, and steps S302 to S304 are repeated until an end operation is detected by an end operation detection step (not shown).

The object detection step in step S304 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 4. In step S401, measurement information of the detected object is acquired. In step S402, it is determined whether the measurement value to the detected object is within the detection range set in step S303. If it is within the range, the process proceeds to step S403, where the detected object is determined to be an obstacle. If it is outside the range, the process proceeds to step S404, where the detected object is determined not to be an obstacle.

The result of the determination as to whether or not an object is an obstacle may be displayed or notified to the user using, for example, text data, sound, or light on a display unit. Alternatively, based on the determination result, a drive unit (not shown) of the moving body may be controlled to decelerate, avoid, or stop the moving body to prevent it from colliding with the detected object.

As explained above, according to the information processing device 100 of embodiment 1, the area through which the mobile object passes is set as the object detection range. Therefore, even if an object outside the area through which the mobile object passes is detected, it is not considered an obstacle, thereby reducing unnecessary avoidance actions, etc., and improving the efficiency of the mobile object's operation.

Note that while the above explanation shows an example in which a passive stereo camera is used as the sensor, any type of sensor can be used as long as it can detect the position and distance of an object. For example, an active stereo camera, a TOF (Time-Of-Flight) camera, or a LiDAR sensor would also be acceptable.

Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the detection range of the sensor is the area through which the moving object passes, but the detection range may also be the detection range of the first embodiment, and at least the distance at which the moving object can stop (stopping distance).

For example, by calculating the braking distance based on the current speed, acceleration, etc. of the moving object, and setting the area through which the moving object passes, from the current position up to the braking or stopping distance, as the passing area and detection range, it is possible to further reduce the detection of objects that do not interfere with the moving object's travel. Note that the stopping distance here is defined as the free-travel distance (the delay until the user applies the brakes and the distance traveled during the program's processing time) + braking distance (the distance traveled after the brakes are applied).

Furthermore, in the above explanation, an example was shown in which the detection range was set based on the area through which the moving object passed, but it is also possible to calculate an area only up to the braking distance in step S302 without using the area through which the moving object passed, and set this as the detection range.

In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which the travel area consisting of the path of the mobile object was used as the detection range of the sensor, but this travel area may not only be the path, but also an area that includes deviations (errors) that occur when traveling along the path. The mobile object travels along a path, but depending on the environment and traveling conditions of the mobile object, it may not be able to travel faithfully along that path.

For example, depending on the coefficient of friction between the road surface and the vehicle's wheels, one wheel of the vehicle may slip, causing it to wobble, or multiple wheels of the vehicle may slip, causing it to slip. Furthermore, when the vehicle turns, there may be a difference in the direction of the inner or outer wheels, causing it to deviate from the intended path. Furthermore, vehicles carrying tall luggage may be blown off course by crosswinds.

In the case of swaying or slipping, the difference between the expected acceleration and inertial force and their direction when the moving object travels along the route and the values when it actually travels is calculated, and this difference is included in the size of the moving object to determine the passing area. In addition, if the road surface is wet or slippery, this is also taken into account when calculating the passing area. If the object is blown by a crosswind, the amount of movement required to return to the original route is taken into account when calculating the passing area.

Furthermore, the inner wheel difference and outer wheel difference are calculated by calculating the passing area from the path of the moving body, the position of the moving body's wheels, and the turning angle. Alternatively, the passing area can be calculated by performing an expansion process on the area defined by the size of the moving body and adding a certain size margin.

Alternatively, if the locations of wobble or slippage are known, the passing area may be calculated by adding a margin to only those parts of the route. In other words, the passing area calculation unit 201 may calculate the passing area based on the braking performance of the moving object 210, its speed while traveling, the route, etc.

The detection range in embodiment 1 may also be set based on distance alone. That is, the detection range may be limited to a predetermined distance range. In this case, the detection range is set by changing the parameters related to the sensor's distance measurement. Specifically, in the case of a passive stereo camera, the parallax during stereo matching is limited. In the case of a sensor that measures distance images or LiDAR, the detection range can be defined from the measured distance value.

Alternatively, the detection range in embodiment 1 may be set to only the range in the left-right, up-down, and down-directions without considering distance. Specifically, the detection range can be limited as parameters to the position through which the moving object passes and the range in the up-down, left-right directions for the area of the image captured using stereo images.

In this way, the object detection range setting unit 202 sets the object detection range by changing the parameters so that the object detection range includes the passing area calculated by the passing area calculation unit 201. The above parameters include at least one of parameters such as parallax in the sensor 109 or parameters related to the detection range for object detection.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the detection range was set to a range corresponding to the spatial region through which the moving object passes. In contrast, in the second embodiment, a type of object around the moving object is identified so that it can be determined whether it is a moving object, and the obstacle detection range of the sensor is changed based on the area in space occupied by the object. In this embodiment, the sensor detects an object in front of the moving object using a passive stereo camera, and identifies the object by performing image recognition of the object obtained from the sensor.

Specifically, the object is identified by matching the captured image with a pre-stored template image of the object, and the detection range is set based on the identification results so that objects that are unlikely to move near the moving body on their own are not detected as obstacles. This method eliminates from detection objects that are unlikely to collide with the moving body, thereby reducing the collision avoidance process for the moving body and improving operating efficiency.

The hardware configuration of the information processing device according to the second embodiment is substantially the same as that shown in Figure 1, with the exception of the configuration of the sensor 109. The storage device 103 receives input of an image for template matching and the range of movement of an object in that image.

Programs 107 stored in storage device 103 include a program for controlling the range within which the sensor detects objects and a program for identifying detected objects through template matching. Sensor 109 is composed of a first sensor 109a and a second sensor 109b, with first sensor 109a and second sensor 109b connected to I/O 108.

Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of an information processing device 100 according to embodiment 2. The moving body 210 includes the information processing device 100, a first measurement unit 511, and a second measurement unit 512. The information processing device 100 includes a first object detection unit 501, an object identification unit 502, an object movement range estimation unit 503, an object detection range setting unit 504, and a second object detection unit 505.

The first measurement unit 511 calculates the distance to each feature point in the stereo image based on the information input from the first sensor 109a and outputs it to the first object detection unit 501. The second measurement unit 512 calculates the distance to each feature point in the stereo image based on the information input from the second sensor 109b and outputs it to the second object detection unit 505.

The first object detection unit 501 outputs the presence or absence of an object and the distance to the object based on the information input from the first measurement unit 511. That is, the first sensor 901a detects objects around the moving body. The object identification unit 502 identifies the object based on characteristics such as the type, attributes, and size of the object detected by the first object detection unit 501. The object movement range estimation unit 503 estimates the movement range (movement range) of the object identified by the object identification unit 502.

The object detection range setting unit 504 (object detection range setting means) sets (controls) the object detection range in which the second object detection unit 505 detects an object, based on the object (position) identified by the object identification unit 502 and the object movement range estimated by the object movement range estimation unit 503. The second object detection unit 505 detects the presence or absence of an object based on information input from the second measurement unit 512. In other words, it detects objects around the moving body using the second sensor 901b.

Figure 6 is an operational flowchart of the information processing device 100 according to the second embodiment. Note that the CPU 101, which serves as a computer within the information processing device 100, executes a computer program stored in the storage device 103 to perform the operations of each step in the flowchart in Figure 6.

In step S601, as an initialization process accompanying processing execution, route information, an image for template matching, and accompanying information for that image are loaded from the storage device 103 to the memory 102. In step S602, the first object detection unit 501 detects objects around the moving body.

That is, in step S602 (first object detection step), objects around the moving body are detected by the first sensor. The detection method is the same as in embodiment 1, in which the objects are detected by stereo matching feature points of images captured by the passive stereo camera of sensor 109a.

In step S603, the object detected by the object identification unit 502 is identified as being a moving object. That is, in step S603 (object identification step), the object is identified based on the characteristics of the object detected in step S602, which serves as the first object detection step. The method of identification is to match the image detected in step S602 with a template image of the object that has pre-registered additional information about its movement range, thereby identifying the detected object.

In step S604 (object movement range estimation step), the movement range of the object identified in step S603 (object identification step) is estimated. The movement range is estimated from the movement range or movement information associated with the matched image. Furthermore, if an object can be detected but its type or movement cannot be identified, it is treated as moving throughout the entire area.

In step S605, if the identified object and its movement range indicate an object that is unlikely to move toward the moving body on its own, the object is prevented from being detected as an obstacle. To this end, the detection range of the second sensor 109b is set to the closest distance from the moving body to the identified object within the sensor's detection range, so that the object's movement range is not included in the sensor's detection range.

That is, in step S605 (object detection range setting step), the object detection range for detecting an object in step S606 is set based on the object identified in step 603 and the movement range estimated in step 604.

At this time, the object detection range setting unit 504 sets the object detection range based on the positional relationship between the object identified by the object identification unit 502 and the moving object. At this time, the detection range is set by changing the sensor parameters or the object detection processing parameters, as described in embodiment 1.

In step S606, the second sensor 901b is used to detect whether an object is present within the detection range set in step S605. That is, in step S606 (second object detection step), the second sensor detects an object around the moving body 210. If an object is detected, the process of determining it as an obstacle is repeated until an end operation is detected in an end operation detection step (not shown).

In this way, objects that are unlikely to come near the moving object are detected first, and those objects are not detected as obstacles. It is then possible to check whether there are any other obstacles between that object and the moving object. So, for example, suppose a wall is detected within the operating range. If the moving object approaches that wall and then takes a route that runs along the wall, even if the wall is detected, it will not be detected as an obstacle. This means the moving object can continue moving without stopping.

As described above, the information processing device 100 according to the second embodiment can improve the efficiency of the operation of a mobile body by first detecting objects that are unlikely to come near the mobile body and setting the detection range so that the objects are not detected as obstacles.

Note that, although an example using multiple sensors and object detection units has been shown in the second embodiment, implementation may also be achieved with a single sensor and object detection unit. Specifically, detection to recognize objects and detection of objects other than the recognized object may be performed alternately, such as detecting all objects with the first sensor, identifying one of the objects, and then resetting the detection range to the distance to the identified object and detecting the object again.

Furthermore, in the second embodiment, an example was shown in which the identity of an object was determined by matching similar images, but the method for determination is not limited to this. For example, an object may be recognized from an image using machine learning techniques such as deep learning.

Furthermore, in the second embodiment, an object is identified and detected if its range of movement overlaps the detection range. However, if it is known that the object will not collide, it may be excluded from the detection target regardless of the range of movement of the identified object. For example, in an environment where multiple moving objects are operating, if one moving object is pursuing another moving object, the pursuing moving object will always include the preceding (leading) moving object in the sensor's detection range.

Normally, upon detecting a leading moving object, the pursuing moving object will take evasive action. Specifically, in step S603 in Figure 6, to determine whether the detected object is a moving object, the object is identified using an identifier such as a two-dimensional barcode attached to the moving object, or object recognition such as deep learning.

If it is a moving object, step S604 checks whether the path of the specified moving object and the vehicle's own path intersect at the same time or whether they are traveling in the same direction. If it is determined that they do not intersect, meaning that the possibility of a collision is not normally possible, the preceding moving object is not detected as an obstacle. Alternatively, the section in which the preceding moving object is traveling in the same direction is identified from the route information, and the preceding moving object is not detected as an obstacle while traveling through that section.

In the second embodiment, the detection results (presence or absence of an obstacle, etc.) in step S606 may also be notified to an external terminal, etc., using data such as a message, sound, light, etc., to prompt the external terminal, etc., to control the moving object. Alternatively, based on the detection results in step S606, the moving object may be controlled to slow down, avoid collision, or stop in order to prevent the moving object from colliding with the detected object. Furthermore, if the detection range becomes shorter than the braking distance, the moving object may be controlled so that the detection range becomes the braking distance.

In the second embodiment, the detection area was determined based on a single detection result, but objects that are determined to be likely to be stationary based on the object detection history at the same location may be excluded from the detection area of the second object detection unit 405.

Specifically, in step S603 of Figure 5, the object, its image, and its position are stored. Then, before step S604, a branch is provided, and at this branch, it is determined whether the detected object has been detected in the past.

In the determination process, the system checks whether an object was previously detected in the same position, and whether the detected object is the same as the currently detected object through template matching. If there is a match in all aspects, the object is determined to be the same as the previously detected object. If so, the object is treated as a stationary object and the process proceeds to step S605. If there is no match, the object is determined to be a different object, and the motion range is estimated in step S604.

In the second embodiment, an example was shown in which objects detected by a moving vehicle are identified by template matching, but if the object can be determined to be stationary without identification, it may be excluded from the detection area of the second object detection unit 405.

Specifically, drawing data of the area in which the moving object travels is stored in advance as information that can be used to determine whether the object is stationary. This drawing data includes fixed objects such as walls and pillars, and by associating the drawing data with the moving object's position and direction, it is possible to determine the position and direction in which the moving object is traveling on the drawing data.

Furthermore, in the second embodiment, an example was shown in which a detected object was identified and the detection range was set based on its position, but it is also possible to estimate the area in space that the detected object may occupy and set the detection range based on that area.

Specifically, when identifying the detected object by template matching in step S603, the area occupied by the object can be estimated by determining that areas matched with the same template image are the same object. After that, the movement range for the object's movement range is estimated, and the object is detected by determining whether the movement range is included in the detection range.

(Embodiment 3)
In the first and second embodiments, the object detection ranges determined for each are controlled, but in the third embodiment, the first and second embodiments are switched based on the speed of a moving object. The internal configuration and functional block diagram of the information processing device according to the third embodiment uses the configurations and functions of the first and second embodiments. Furthermore, a determination unit is provided to determine which function to use.

The flowchart of the information processing device 100 according to the third embodiment uses the flows of the first and second embodiments, but a branch is provided at the front to determine which process to perform before entering each flow. This branch is determined by the above-mentioned determination unit, and if the mobile object is traveling at a speed where the braking distance is equal to or less than a threshold, the detection range of the sensor is controlled based on the area in which the mobile object is traveling, according to the processing of the first embodiment. On the other hand, if the mobile object is traveling at a speed greater than the threshold, the detection range of the sensor is changed based on the results of identifying objects around the mobile object, according to the processing of the second embodiment.

(Embodiment 4)
In the third embodiment, an example was shown in which the first embodiment and the second embodiment were switched over, but in the fourth embodiment, the first embodiment and the second embodiment are used together. The internal configuration of the information processing device according to the third embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment, and the functional block diagram adds the passing area calculation unit of the first embodiment to the second embodiment.

The processing steps involve identifying the type and attributes of an object detected within the detection range of the sensor according to embodiment 2 and estimating the movement range of the detected object. Then, the passing area of the moving body according to embodiment 1 is calculated, and the detection range is set so as to detect objects present within the passing area and objects whose passing area overlaps with the estimated movement range.

(Embodiment 5)
In the first, second, third, and fourth embodiments, examples were shown in which the detection range was controlled, but in the fifth embodiment, the detection results and the obstacle determination results are presented to the user on a display device. This example will be described with reference to FIG.

Figures 7(A) and (B) are diagrams showing display examples according to embodiment 5. Figure 7(A) is an image 701 captured using a passive stereo camera, in which a person 702, wall 703, wall 704, and wall 705 are reflected. Figure 7(B) is a diagram showing a UI screen 711 that displays the results of object detection based on the image shown in Figure 7(A) and the obstacle detection area, and various confirmations and display settings can be made on the UI screen 711.

Marks 712, 713, 714, and 715 indicate the type of detected object, distinguishing whether it is a moving object or not. That is, moving objects are represented by mark 712, and stationary objects are represented by marks 713 to 715. Furthermore, the nearest moving object is indicated by mark 716, and the distance to it is displayed as distance value 751.

Detection range 722 is a visualization of the detection range, and objects included in this detection range 722 are the obstacle detection targets. There is a wall 705 at the back of detection range 722, but if wall 705 is identified, it will be identified as a stationary object, and so wall 705 is not included in detection range 722.

The UI screen 711 also has a button 721 for switching the display of the moving object passage area on and off, and a button 731 for switching the display of the movement range of a detected object on and off. It also has a slide bar 741 for setting a margin for the size of the moving object to absorb any deviations during movement of the moving object.

By turning on button 721, which switches the display of the moving object passage area on and off, the detection range 722 is displayed, thereby showing the moving object passage area. By turning on button 731, which switches the display of the movement range of the detected object on and off, the range in which the detected object moves is displayed. Person 702 has been identified as a moving object, and his movement range is represented by range 732.

In the example of Figure 7(B), the position of person 702 is not included in the moving object's passing area, but because the movement range 732 is included in the passing area, person 702 is determined to be an obstacle and can be confirmed on the display. Additionally, by adjusting the margin setting for the moving object's size using slide bar 741, the size of the moving object expands or contracts by the set value, and the detection range 722 is displayed based on that size.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention has been described in detail above based on its preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible based on the spirit of the present invention, and these modifications are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the present invention was applied to an autonomous mobile body. However, the mobile body in this embodiment is not limited to autonomous mobile bodies such as AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) and AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots).

Furthermore, even if the vehicle does not move completely autonomously, it may be used as a driving assistance device. Furthermore, the moving object may be in any form as long as it is a moving device that moves, such as a car, train, ship, airplane, robot, or drone.

Furthermore, at least a portion of the information processing system of the embodiment may or may not be mounted on a mobile object. The present invention can also be applied to cases where a mobile object is remotely controlled. The present invention may also be applied to a system made up of multiple devices, or to an apparatus made up of a single device. Note that this embodiment includes the following combinations:

(Configuration 1) An information processing device comprising: a passing area calculation means for calculating a passing area through which a moving object passes; an object detection means for detecting objects around the moving object using a sensor; and an object detection range setting means for setting an object detection range in which the object detection means detects the object based on the passing area calculated by the passing area calculation means.

(Configuration 2) The information processing device described in Configuration 1, wherein the passage area includes an area through which a moving object connected to the moving body or a load carried on the moving body passes.

(Configuration 3) The information processing device described in Configuration 1 or 2, wherein the object detection range setting means sets the object detection range to include at least the passing area calculated by the passing area calculation means.

(Configuration 4) The information processing device described in Configuration 3, wherein the object detection range setting means changes at least one of the parameters of the sensor or the parameters of the object detection means so that the object detection range includes at least the passing area calculated by the passing area calculation means.

(Configuration 5) The information processing device described in Configuration 3, wherein the passing area calculation means calculates the passing area based on the braking performance, traveling speed, and route of the moving object.

(Configuration 6) An information processing device comprising: a first object detection means for detecting objects around a moving body using a first sensor; a second object detection means for detecting objects around the moving body using a second sensor; an object identification means for identifying the object based on the characteristics of the object detected by the first object detection means; an object motion range estimation means for estimating the motion range of the object identified by the object identification means; and an object detection range setting means for setting the object detection range for the second object detection means based on the object identified by the object identification means and the motion range estimated by the object motion range estimation means.

(Configuration 7) The information processing device described in Configuration 6, wherein the object detection range setting means sets the object detection range based on the positional relationship between the object identified by the object identification means and the moving body.

(Configuration 8) The information processing device described in any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the object detection range setting means sets the object detection range based on the stopping distance of the moving object.

(Configuration 9) The information processing device described in any one of configurations 1 to 8, characterized in that it displays or controls the driving of the moving object based on the detection result of the object detected within the object detection range.

(Method 1) An information processing method comprising: a passing area calculation step for calculating a passing area through which a moving object will pass; an object detection step for detecting objects around the moving object using a sensor; and an object detection range setting step for setting an object detection range for detecting the object in the object detection step based on the passing area calculated in the passing area calculation step.

(Method 2) An information processing method comprising: a first object detection step of detecting objects around a moving body using a first sensor; a second object detection step of detecting objects around the moving body using a second sensor; an object identification step of identifying the object based on characteristics of the object detected in the first object detection step; an object movement range estimation step of estimating the movement range of the object identified in the object identification step; and an object detection range setting step of setting an object detection range for detecting objects in the second object detection step based on the object identified in the object identification step and the movement range estimated in the object movement range estimation step.

(Program) A computer program for controlling each means of the information processing device described in any one of configurations 1 to 8 by a computer.

The present invention can also be achieved by directly or remotely supplying a program that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device, and having that system or device read and execute the supplied program code. Therefore, the program code itself that is installed on a computer to realize the functional processing of the present invention is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

In this case, as long as it has the functionality of a program, the form of the program is irrelevant, such as object code, a program executed by an interpreter, or script data supplied to the OS.

Recording media for supplying programs include, for example, floppy disks, hard disks, optical disks (CDs, DVDs), magneto-optical disks, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, and ROMs.

Furthermore, the computer may execute the loaded program to realize the functions of the above-described embodiments. Alternatively, the OS running on the computer may perform some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program, and the functions of the above-described embodiments may also be realized through this processing.

Furthermore, the program read from the recording medium is written to memory on a function expansion board inserted into the computer or on a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Then, based on the instructions of the program, the CPU or GPU on the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs some or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments can also be realized through this processing.

100: Information processing device 201: Passing area calculation unit 202: Object detection range setting unit 203: Object detection unit 210: Moving object 211: Measurement unit

Claims (10)

a first object detection means for detecting an object around the moving body by a first sensor;
a second object detection means for detecting an object around the moving body by a second sensor;
an object identification means for identifying the object based on the characteristics of the object detected by the first object detection means;
an object movement range estimation means for estimating a movement range of the object identified by the object identification means;
and an object detection range setting means for setting an object detection range in which the second object detection means detects an object based on the object identified by the object identification means and the movement range estimated by the object movement range estimation means. a passing area calculation means for calculating a passing area through which a moving object passes,
2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the passage area includes an area through which a connected object that moves while connected to the moving object or a load carried on the moving object passes. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the object detection range setting means sets the object detection range so as to include at least the passing area calculated by the passing area calculation means. 4. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein the object detection range setting means changes at least one of the parameters of the second sensor or the parameters of the second object detection means so that the object detection range includes at least the passing area calculated by the passing area calculation means. The information processing device described in claim 3, characterized in that the passing area calculation means calculates the passing area based on the braking performance, traveling speed, and route of the moving object. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the object detection range setting means sets the object detection range based on a positional relationship between the object identified by the object identifying means and the moving body. The information processing device described in claim 1, characterized in that the object detection range setting means sets the object detection range based on the stopping distance of the moving object. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that display or drive control of the moving object is performed based on the detection result of the object detected within the object detection range. An information processing method that uses a computer to execute the following steps:
a first object detection step of detecting an object around the moving object by a first sensor;
a second object detection step of detecting an object around the moving body by a second sensor;
an object identification step of identifying the object based on features of the object detected in the first object detection step;
an object movement range estimation step of estimating a movement range of the object identified in the object identification step;
an object detection range setting step of setting an object detection range for detecting an object in the second object detection step based on the object identified in the object identification step and the motion range estimated in the object motion range estimation step. A computer program for controlling each means of the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8 by a computer.